Apparatus and Method for Customizing Interactive Fitness Activities

ABSTRACT

A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to generate a personalized goal and fitness plan. The executable instructions include instructions to receive from a user a fitness goal and user personality trait information. A personalized goal and fitness plan is generated for the user based on the fitness goal and the personality trait information.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the field of health and fitness. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for customizing interactive fitness activities and generating a personalized goal and fitness plan.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Health and fitness clubs typically provide individuals with facilities to improve their overall health and fitness. While a considerable percentage of individuals are members of health clubs, only a small percentage of these individuals actually achieve their desired health and fitness levels. This is typically due to the fact that at least a third of the users of health and fitness clubs either do not visit their club regularly or do not work out in accordance with an exercise schedule. Evidence suggests that health and fitness clubs typically experience an average turnover rate of about 40% each year, indicating that an overwhelming majority of individuals do not exhibit consistent exercise patterns.

A number of programs directed towards improving the health and fitness of individuals have been developed by health and fitness clubs. Some of these programs include embedding programmable devices into fitness equipment. These devices typically assess a user's physical characteristics such as a user's age, weight, sex, height and medical conditions and generate a personalized fitness plan for the user based on these characteristics. While these programs focus on improving the overall health of an individual, they are typically not tailored to an individual's unique personality. Further, these programs typically do not capture an individual's changing fitness requirements. It would be desirable to develop a personalized goal and fitness plan based on an individual's personality traits, In addition, it would be desirable to develop a personalized goal and fitness plan that adapts to an individual's changing fitness requirements. It would also be desirable to develop a technique to track an individual member's progress toward a desired health and fitness goal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention includes a computer readable storage medium with executable instructions to generate a personalized goal and fitness plan. The executable instructions include instructions to receive from a user a fitness goal and user personality trait information. A personalized goal and fitness plan is generated for the user based on the fitness goal and the personality trait information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The invention is more fully appreciated in connection with the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a screen display that allows a user to generate a personalized goal and fitness plan, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2-4 are screen displays that allow a user to set one or more goals and interests related to a personalized goal and fitness plan.

FIGS. 5-7 are screen displays that allow a user to determine a fitness personality color related to a personalized goal and fitness plan.

FIG. 8 is a screen display that allows a user to view a personalized goal and fitness plan.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a personality color table, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 10-12 are screen displays that allow a user to track activities related to a desired health and fitness goal.

FIG. 13 illustrates a computer configured in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a screen display that allows a user to generate a personalized goal and fitness plan in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. A personalized goal and fitness plan may be generated for each user based on the user's goals, needs, personality traits and lifestyle. In a particular embodiment, a user activates a “Success Plan” tab 10 to create a personalized goal and fitness plan. The creation of a Success Plan includes a “Set your Goals and Interests (3 steps)” stage 12, a “Discover your Fitness Personality Color (3 steps)” stage 14 and a “Your Fitness Profile: advice to achieve your goals” stage 16. The stages 12, 14 and 16 of the Success Plan are discussed in greater detail below.

FIGS. 2-4 are screen displays that allow a user to set one or more goals and interests related to a personalized goal and fitness plan. In the screen display illustrated in FIG. 2, the user is presented with the first step of the “Set your Goals and Interests (3 steps)” stage 12 of the personalized goal and fitness plan. In this step, the user selects one or more goals that the user desires to achieve. In the illustrated example, the user selects the goals, “Enhance fitness performance”, “Increase Flexibility” and “Improve sleep”.

In the screen display illustrated in FIG. 3, the user is presented with the second step of the “Set your Goals and Interests (3 steps)” stage 12 of the personalized goal and fitness plan. In this step, the user specifies a main goal that is most important to the user. In the illustrated example, the user selects “Enhance fitness performance” as the main goal. The user also specifies the amount of time that the user wishes to allocate to achieve the main goal.

In the screen display illustrated in FIG. 4, the user is presented with the third step of the “Set your Goals and Interests (3 steps)” stage 12 of the personalized goal and fitness plan. In this step, the user is presented with a set of fitness programs related to the main goal, “Enhance fitness performance”. The user then selects one or more fitness programs that the user wishes to participate in by prioritizing the fitness programs based on his/her interest level.

FIGS. 5-7 are screen displays that allow a user to determine a fitness personality color related to a personalized goal and fitness plan. The “Discover your Fitness Personality Color (3 steps)” stage 14 of the personalized goal and fitness plan determines specific fitness requirements for each user based on identifying each user's personality. In the screen display illustrated in FIG. 5, the user is presented with the first step of the Discover your Fitness Personality Color (3 steps)” stage 14 of the personalized goal and fitness plan. In this step, the user is presented with a series of questions about the user's preferences. In one embodiment, the user is presented with a pair of options related to a set of personality traits. The user then selects an option associated with one or more of the personality traits that most resembles the user's personality.

In the screen display illustrated in FIG. 6, the user is presented with the second step of the “Discover your Fitness Personality Color (3 steps)” stage 14 of the personalized goal and fitness plan. In this step, the user is presented with additional options related to a list of personality traits. The user selects an option associated with one or more of the personality traits that most resembles the user's personality.

In one embodiment, the series of questions presented to a user are classified along two major personality-profile dimensions, such as “introvert” and “extravert”. Each pair of options (illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6) represent two possible responses from a user to each question, wherein each response corresponds to one end of the scale for a particular personality-profile dimension. The user's responses to each of the questions are recorded and an aggregate response to a set of questions pertaining to each dimension is computed. A personality color is then derived for the user, based on a resulting combination of aggregate responses for each dimension and information in a personality color table. FIG. 9 is an illustration of a personality color table, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Each personality color is associated with a set of phrases and words descriptive of a particular color. Observe that since there are two possible aggregate responses that can be computed for each dimension, the number of personality colors that can be assigned to users, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, is a power of two raised to the number of dimensions.

The assignment of a user's personality color is further illustrated in the screen display shown in FIG. 7. In the screen display illustrated in FIG. 7, the user is presented with the third step of the “Discover your Fitness Personality Color (3 steps)” stage 14 of the personalized goal and fitness plan. Based on the user's selections of personality traits in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the user is designated a personality color. In the illustrated example, the user is designated with the personality color, “saffron”. The user is then presented with a set of characteristics associated with the user's designated color. The user selects one or more of the characteristics that most resemble the user's personality traits. In one embodiment, the personality color assigned to the user may further be verified based on comparing the characteristics selected by the user and the information presented in the personality color table illustrated in FIG. 9.

Based on the goals and interests and the personality traits specified by the user, a personalized goal and fitness plan is generated for the user. FIG. 8 is a screen display that allows a user to view a personalized goal and fitness plan. In one embodiment, the personalized goal and fitness plan is a fitness profile that provides the user with a set of fitness and health guidelines to be followed by the user. The fitness profile may also include a schedule of recommended activities, determined to be appropriate to a user's needs, such as exercise classes currently offered by the fitness center.

In a particular embodiment, the fitness profile for a user is determined as follows. Information associated with each user is analyzed and correlated with one or more preference characteristics. In one embodiment, the preference characteristics represent a psychological attribute that describes a user's preference. The preference characteristics may be conscious (known to the user) or subconscious (unknown to the user) characteristics associated with a user. For example, preference characteristics may include, but are not limited to, “needs motivation”, “group oriented”, “needs variety”, “dynamic”, “fun” and “likes outdoors”. In one embodiment, each preference characteristic is assigned a preference word code.

The responses received from each user (as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7) are matched with the preference word codes. A match score corresponding to each preference word code for each user is derived. In a particular embodiment, the match score corresponds to the number of direct matches between the user's responses and a preference word code corresponding to a particular personality characteristic. A match score value is calculated for each match score. Match scores with match score values greater than a pre-determined threshold are selected and the corresponding personality characteristic associated with the match score is presented as an item or a recommendation (e.g., “We think you'll like . . . ”) in the fitness profile for the user. Personality characteristics with match score values less than the pre-determined threshold are presented as other recommendation items (e.g., “You might also like . . . ”) in the fitness profile for the user.

In certain embodiments, the fitness profile also determines a user's response to a set of recommendations over a period of time. For example, if a user chooses a particular activity within a recommendation or item in the fitness profile a specific number of times, the fitness profile is adjusted to include the activity as an additional recommendation for the user. The recommended activity may change over time, and these changes are accordingly captured by the fitness profile generated for each user. For example, if a user chooses an outdoor group event activity a specific number of times, the fitness profile for the user may be adapted to include recommendations that include additional outdoor events.

In one embodiment, the information associated with a set of users is stored in one or more tables. The tables may include, for example, a User Attributes Table, a Color Characteristics Table, a Goals and Interest Preference Characteristics Table, an Activity Table, a Club Activity Table, a Tool Table, an Activities Not Interested Table, a Venue Activity Table, a Venue Proximity Table, a Promotions Table, a Preference Characteristics Table, a Match Score Table and a Fitness Profile Table.

The User Attributes Table includes information related to a user, such as the user's primary club, gender, age, purchase behavior, join date, frequency of club visits, fitness goal, time allocated to a typical workout, top-rated club interests, personality color, and current satisfaction level. The information associated with each user is analyzed and correlated with one or more preference characteristics. For example, based on information derived from a user's “frequency of club visits” and “personality color”, a preference characteristic such as, “needs variety” may be correlated with the user. Similarly, the Color Characteristics Table includes information that correlates preference characteristics with a particular personality color associated with the user. For example, the personality color “red” may be correlated with preference characteristics such as “needs motivation” and “likes outdoors”.

The Goals and Interest Preference Characteristics Table includes information about a user's goals and interests, correlated with one or more preference characteristics. The Activity Table includes information about each generic type of class, program and event/activity associated with a user. Each activity may be correlated with a preference characteristic and associated with a particular interest or a program. For example, an activity such as a hip-hop dance class may be correlated with preference characteristics such as “needs motivation”, “dynamic”, “fun”, “group oriented” and matched with a program or an interest such as “Group Fitness”. The Club Activity Table includes information about the types of activities held at the club. The Tool Table includes information about tools, correlated with one or more preference characteristics. An example of a tool may include a competition that is correlated with personality characteristics such as “needs motivation”, “group oriented”, “needs a goal” and “needs variety”. The Activities Not Interested Table includes a list of activities or tools that a user is not interested in. The Venue Activity Table includes information about fitness activities. The Venue Activity table may be represented, for example, in a presentation layer of an application, a website or a mobile device. The Venue Proximity Table includes information about the distance between one or more fitness centers that a user typically visits. A set of activities may then be presented to the user based on the physical proximity of the fitness centers The Promotions Table includes information about the available outbound or screen promotions available to a set of users of the fitness centers. The Preference Characteristics Table includes preference word codes corresponding to the preference characteristics. The Match Score Table includes match score values computed for each user relative to each activity. The Fitness Profile Table includes a set of fitness recommendations for each user.

In another embodiment, a user's progress levels related to a desired health and fitness goal may be monitored. FIGS. 10-12 are screen displays that allow a user to track activities related to a desired health and fitness goal. In one embodiment, a user activates an “Activity Tracker” tab 18 to view progress levels related to a desired health and fitness goal.

In the screen display illustrated in FIG. 10, the user's current goal and details about the user's visits to the health and fitness club are displayed. In one embodiment, a graphical representation of the frequency of the user's visits to the fitness club over a period of time are displayed. The user may also view additional details related to the user's current goal, “Enhance fitness performance”. In one embodiment, the additional details are presented as one or more links, “How is it going toward your goals” 18 and “View goal history” 20 to the user. Upon selecting the link, “How is it going toward your goals” 18, the user is presented with the screen display shown in FIG. 11. As illustrated, a user's satisfaction level related to achieving the current goal is obtained. Information regarding the user's most enjoyable activity related to the current goal is also obtained. In one embodiment, feedback from a user may be obtained during variable contact time intervals. In a particular embodiment, the variable contact time intervals may be derived based on behavioral patterns specific to a user. Behavioral patterns may include, for example, self-reported progress levels by the user or a set of user actions.

Returning to FIG. 10, upon selecting the link, “View Goal History” 20, the user is presented with the screen display shown in FIG. 12. A set of records comprising a history of the user's feedback pertaining to the current goal is displayed to the user. The feedback obtained from the user may be stored as a set of the user's responses collected over time. The user's responses may be further analyzed by a number of external systems. For example, campaign management systems may be used to analyze the user's responses and prompt the user with offers and services tailored to the user's goals and interests and fitness personality traits. Website login page promotions may be used to present information tailored to the user's specific needs when the user logs in to his/her system. Online schedules, such as class schedules for the various fitness centers, may be used to present custom recommendations by highlighting classes or events that are appropriate to a user's customized fitness plan. Check-in systems may be used to prompt front desk staff at the health and fitness club to make a special greeting to the user. Display screens at the health and fitness club may be prompted to display information that is more likely to be of interest to the user, such as when the user is exercising or walks by a specific location at the health and fitness club. Text and email alerts may also be generated to selected staff members in the health and fitness club when the user arrives. In addition, depending on the user's fitness profile, offers may be presented to the user to meet other users with a similar fitness profile.

FIG. 13 illustrates a computer configured in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The computer 100 includes standard components, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 102 and input/output devices 104, which are linked by a bus 106. The input/output devices 104 may include a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, monitor, printer, and the like. A Network Interface Circuit (NIC) 108 provides connectivity to a network (not shown), thereby allowing the computer 100 to operate in a networked environment.

A memory 110 is also connected to the bus 106. The memory 110 includes one or more executable modules to implement operations of the invention. In one embodiment, the memory 110 includes a Goals and Interests Module 112, a Fitness Personality Module 114 and a Fitness Profile Module 116.

The Goals and Interests Module 112 includes executable instructions to specify goals and interests related to a personalized goal and fitness plan. The Goals and Interests Module 112 further includes executable instructions to receive a fitness goal from a user. The Fitness Personality Module 114 includes executable instructions to receive personality trait information from a user and derive a personality color for the user based on the personality trait information. The Fitness Profile Module 116 includes executable instructions to generate a personalized goal and fitness plan for the user based on the fitness goal and the personality trait information.

The operations performed by the executable modules in the memory 110 are discussed in greater detail in connection with FIGS. 1-9. In a particular embodiment, the personalized goal and fitness plan is generated and delivered to a user using the WellPower® application, which is a trademark of Club One Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.

It should be noted that the executable modules stored in memory 110 are exemplary. Additional modules, such as an operating system or graphical user interface module may also be included. It should be appreciated that the functions of the modules may be combined. In addition, the functions of the modules need not be preformed on a single machine. Instead, the functions may be distributed across a network, if desired. Indeed, the invention is commonly implemented in a client-server environment with various components being implemented at the client-side and/or server-side. It is the functions of the invention that are significant, not where they are performed or the specific manner in which they are performed.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a computer storage product with a computer-readable medium having computer code thereon for performing various computer-implemented operations. The media and computer code may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs and holographic devices; magneto-optical media; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and execute program code, such as application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), programmable logic devices (“PLDs”) and ROM and RAM devices. Examples of computer code include machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher-level code that are executed by a computer using an interpreter. For example, an embodiment of the invention may be implemented using Java, C++, or other object-oriented programming language and development tools. Another embodiment of the invention may be implemented in hardwired circuitry in place of, or in combination with, machine-executable software instructions.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed; obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, they thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the following claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention. 

1. A computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions to generate a personalized goal and fitness plan, the executable instructions comprising instructions to: receive from a user a fitness goal; receive from a user personality trait information; and generate a personalized goal and fitness plan for the user based on the fitness goal and the personality trait information.
 2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to receive personality trait information further comprise executable instructions to present the user with options related to a set of personality traits.
 3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising executable instructions to derive a personality color for the user based on the personality trait information.
 4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions to generate a personalized goal and fitness plan comprise executable instructions to analyze information associated with the user and to correlate the information with one or more preference characteristics.
 5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the information comprises at least one of attribute information, color characteristics, goals, interests, activities and tools associated with the user.
 6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the preference characteristics represent an attribute describing a user's preference.
 7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, further comprising executable instructions to match the user's personality trait information with one or more of the preference characteristics to generate the personalized goal and fitness plan for the user.
 8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the personalized goal and fitness plan is a fitness profile generated for the user.
 9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising executable instructions to determine a user's response to a set of recommendations presented in the fitness profile over a period of time.
 10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising executable instructions to adapt the fitness profile to include additional recommendations based on the user's response.
 11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising executable instructions to monitor the user's progress levels related to the fitness goal. 